Arizona bill would ban transgender girls, women from teams

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - Under a proposed law that was approved by party lines on Thursday, transgender girls and women would be barred from competing on the high school or college sports team that aligns with their gender identity.

Backers of the law said it is needed to prevent transgender women and girls from dominating women’s sporting events, claiming they are naturally stronger.

This ultimately ignoring the “Save Women’s Sports Act" that was sidelined during the Coronavirus-shortened 2020 legislative session.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee and opponents who testified Thursday called the proposal “cruel.” They argued that it targets vulnerable young people who are already struggling to fit in and just want to play sports with their friends.

The proposed Arizona law is the latest to be pushed across the U.S. since Idaho enacted the first ban on transgender girls playing on teams aligning with their gender identity in 2020.

Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and West Virginia have either passed some version of a law or imposed an executive order banning or limiting transgender students from participating in school sports.

Court cases challenging the law are underway in at least four of those states.